The core SketchUp team is still there since they are called @last, anyone remember @last SketchUp? And I know they are not sold easily without good causes.SketchUp product manager even stated that 64-bit developer also monitored this thread

They are going to open to new market once again, like the time they move to Google.But this time, to more professional uses in GIS and engineering for sure.

FYI, SketchUp do nothing best but it is so intuitive. A lot people overlook because of it marketing position by Google. When people know sketchup ecology, it's not that hard to do this in SketchUp with some Photoshop, it's low poly model ready for real-time. This one from 2009:I think what SketchUp people going to do is make these engineering things a lot easier to disciplines.

Lumion should watch this closely, new opportunities also there. At least, SketchUp have possibility to become BIM, like what it did to 3D industry. SketchUp & Layout is almost BIM before development stuck for years. I'm not talking to just BIM for architects, it's BIM for many disciplines which involved in AEC now.

http://gfxspeak.com/2012/04/26/google-sells-sketchup-to-trimble/SketchUp currently claims 2 million active users per week, based on their ability to track how downloaded copies are used. On an average week, between one-third and one-half of those active users are running SketchUp Professional, which retails for $495. As one SketchUp employee says regarding market presence, â€œIf Autodesk or Bentley is there, so are we.â€

http://www.schnitgercorp.com/SC/Hot_Topics/Entries/2012/5/4_Quickies__Nemetschek_and_Trimble.htmlâ€¢Mr. Berglund briefly addressed the proposed SketchUp acquisition, saying that SketchUp is an â€œeffective tool for millions of architectural, engineering and construction users. We see SketchUp as a central platform for providing the glue that will couple field operations with other enterprise activities. SketchUp, together with Tekla and a number of other recent acquisitions and internal developments, gives us the tools to provide these more complete solutions. Our initial focus will be on providing solutions for the cadastral, heavy civil and building construction markets.â€â€¢As far as financing the acquisition, Mr. Berglund told investors that he is â€œcomfortable with our ability to manage anticipated postÂ­SketchUp levels of debt.â€ The companyâ€™s guidance includes a $100 million to $150 million increase in debt levels; one analyst on the call asked it that was due to SketchUp. Mr. Berglund declined to be specific but did say that â€œWe have not disclosed the SketchUp number, by mutual agreement with Google. But, every quarter we do 2 to 3 acquisitions. If you look at Q1, that's what we did. So it's all up, it is captured in that number.â€

My guesstimate, SketchUp acquisition is around 100 millions dollars. It's not just another tools for them.

At least, there're already free/open 700+ plugins I download from sketchucation.com and a few more sources, and what I could say is SketchUp is capable to be BIM/CAD/modeling tool to a very usable degree. And I think SketchUp 9, which was in beta for sometime, will be launched not too far after the deal closed.